Back-pedaling brake.



No. 643,6I6. Patented Feb. 20, i900. J ALLAN 8|. F. MORE.

BACK PEDALING BRAKE.

(Application led Nov. l29, 1898A mi l y?,..r..m\

,l fw? No. 643,6I6. Patented Feb. 29. l90. ,L ALLAN F. MUERE.

BACK PEuALmG BRAKE.

(Application med Nov. 29, 1893. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fla va 7 "nl I l .l n

A TTOHNEYJ.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.JAMES ALLAN AND FRANK MOORE, OE LONDON, f

BACK-PEDALING BRAKE.

"'SPECFGTEOrmin'g-pamtio LettersiPatent'No. 643,616, dated :Feiernaryl 1?@ l ApplioaticniiledNovember29,1898. Serial No. 697,779. (,No model.)` Y. ,l .j I y To I/ZZ whom it 1v1/wy' c'oncern:

Be it known that we, JAMES ALLAN, residing at SpringwelLBarneaLondon, and FRANK MOORE, residing at `Barnea'LOndon, in the county of Surrey' England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain,l have `invented -certain -new and useful Improvements Vvin Propelling and Brake Mechanism for Bicycles and Similar Vehicles, of which the following i's a full and complete specifiicatiomsuch as,

will enable. those 4skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make, and use the same.'

This invention relates to bicycles and similar vehicles; and-the object thereof` is toprovide al1-improved propelling and brake mechanism for vehicles of this class whereby the" rider is. given perfect control of the vehicle by means of thepedals.

of the vehicle a'gear-Whee'l, which forms a part of the ldriving mechanism and which consists of an ordinarysprocket-wheel or a beveledgear-wheel, the mount-in g of said gearwheel being such Vthat when the pedalsare at rest the drive-wheel of the vehicle can revolve freely in the forward direction, so as to travel 'down anv incline without moving the pedals,

and when the pedals are moved forward the gear-wheel will engage the hub of the drivand brake 'mechanism being also shownin section and the partsthereof being unlocked; Fig. 2, as-.ction onv the line z a of Fig. l, showing the parts of the driving mechanism in a looked position, as when the pedals are in operation; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the parts of the driving mechanism in'an unlocked position, as when in coasting; Fig.

4f, a section on theline m of Fig. l1, showing the parts of the brake mechanism in a-locked position, as when the brake is 'in operation;

and-Fig. 5, a view'isimilar to .Fig. l, showing a modiiied'fermf ofconstruction.

V.turns thereon.

shaft or axle 5.

To attain this ob-Y ject, 'we mount on the hub of the drive-wheel- In the drawings forming 'part of this speci.-.

'icatio'n the separate partsi'ofour'improvemeut are designatedA by the Vsame lnumerals of reference in each of theview-s,land in said.

drawings we have shownat 5 the shaft orY .axle of the drive-wheel of avehicleof the class described, it being understood that-'said shaft is stationary and that 'the'y drive-wheel XVe havealsoshown at6 the hub of the drive-wheel of the vehicle, which is of the usual form and which-'turnson :the

One endof the hub'may be connected withthe shaft or axle in the usual or any preferred manner,` as shown' at 7, and the other end of said hub is provided with an inwardly-directed annular iiange 8, and the shaft or axle adjacent to said flange is vprovided with a stationary brake-hub 9, the inn-'er' end of which is" conical inform and forms part of the bearing forthe -b'allsl0,

which constitute a ball-bearing-for this end of the hub. XVe also preferably ymount on or secure to the hub 6 a disk or plate 11, and outside of said disk or plate the end of the hub-is provided with a collar12,whichisse cured thereto, and said disk or plateandcollar maybe formed integrally, if desired.`

The brake-hub 9 is" screw-threaded, and

' mounted thereon is a screw-,threaded brakesleeve 13, which is adapted to 'turn on the brakehub and to move longitudinally thereon by reason ofthe screw-threads Withwhich A said brake-sleeve and brake-'hubfare pro- The end of the shaft Eo raxleis also provided with a vdisk or plate 14, which-is also adapted to be screwed onto said shaft or axle,

and said disk or plate and the 'brake-hub. 9 are preferably keyed to Vsaid shaft oraxle or secured thereto in any preferredmannerl A driving-gear 15is mounted on the' collar 12 and, in the form of construction-shown in Fig. l, consists of fan ordinarysprocket-wheel, and said drivingfgear is' provided witha' hub 16 which incloses the br'akesle'eve 13, and between which and the disk or plate 14Y are placed ball-bearin gs 17 and the'd riving-gear, together with the hub thereof, which is IOO formed integrallytherewitm is free to revolve under certain conditions aroundfthe collar 12 and the brakefsleeve 13.

The collar 12 is provided in the perimeter I thereof1 with backwardly-directed teeth 18,

movement of the gear 15 and the gear-wheel 15 is provided in its in. ner perimeter .and inthe hub 1G adjacent thereto with chambers or,recess'es 19, which are irregular 1n form and which open outwardly through the' hub, and in these charnbers or recesses are placed locking-balls 20, v

three of .which are shown in Fig. 2, and said locking-balls are held in said chambers or recesses by. a band 21, secured to the hub 16 of the gear 15. The hub 16 ot' the drive-wheel 15 is also. provided centrally of the perimeter .thereof with an annular row of chambers or recesses 22, which are irregular in form and similar to the chambersor recesses 19v in the inner perimeter of the gear 15 and in which 'are placed locking-ballsv 23, three of which lare shown in Fig. 4, andthe brake-sleeve 13 is provided with -triangular cavities or recesses 2l, by means of which forwardly-directed teeth 25 are formed, these teeth being similar to the teeth 1S, formed on the collar 12.

Although we have described the gear 15 as consisting either of a beveled gear-wheel or lsprocket-wheel, we have shown it in the form of a sprocket-wheel provided-with sprocketteeth 26, and said gear-wheel is adapted to be driven byva chain connected with a corresponding sprocket-wheel of the vehicle.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof.

When the pedal -shaft'is in motion, the driving-gear 15 is locked to the collar 12, and the drive-wheel of the vehicle revolves with said driving-gear, as will be readily understood, and in this foperation .the locking-balls 20 or one or more of them will drop down and engage the teeth 1S of the collar 12, which is secured to the hub 6, said hub, together with the drive-wheel of the vehicle, of which it forms a part, will be turned forwardly in the usual manner. If at any time the motion of the pedal-shaft and pedals should be stopped, as when in coasting, the-hub 6 and the collar 12 will continue tov turn in the forward direction, the teeth 18 of said collar moving backwardly and throwing the locking-balls 2O back into the n tches or recesses 19, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of propelling the vehicle, as above described, it will be understood that the brake-sleeve 13 is stationary, the hub 1G of the gear 15 revolving thereon, and in this operation the locking-balls 2O are driven back into the chambers or recesses 22, as shown in Fig. 4, and do notengage with the teeth 25 of the brake-sleeve 13, and whenever it is desired to apply the vbrake the pedals are moved backwardly and the direction of the this operation the locking-balls 22 engage with the teeth 25 of the brake-sleeve 13, and said brake-sleeve is-revolved on the brake-hub 9 and moved inwardly into nnnmctwith the on the pedal-shaft as shown in Fig. 2,andl

is reversed, and in collar 12 and the end ofthe hub 16,'thus causing f riction; which operates as a brake to stop the drive-wheel ofthe vehicle, and when the pedals are again moved forwardly the brakesleeve 13 is turned in the opposite direction and moved outwardly on the brake-hub 9.' In

this operation a slight backward movement of the'` pedals is necessary 1n order to produce suicientfriction to check the vehicle, andv if it is desired to stop the vehicle the pedals are moved backward farthenand vthe sleeve 13 is caused to press against the collar 12 or the end of the hub 6 with suicient force to stop the revolution of the wheel of which said hub forms a part.

This pressure of the brakesleeve is exerted only so long'as'the pedals ,l

are held in a backward position, and as soon ,as the pedals are again moved forwardly thebrake-'sleeve is released by the friction occa.-

sioned by the movement of the collar 12 or the I hub G, said parts being rigidly connected, and v the brake-sleeve 13 is moved outwardly sufficiently to allow the drive-wheel -to freely revolve. This outwardl movement is' veryslight,

and only a partial revolution of the brakelsleeve is necessary to accomplish the same,

the pitch of the threads on the inner bore'of the brake-sleeve and the brake-hub y9 being regulated so as to accomplish this object, and the sprocket-wheel moving in a forward direction operates vto keep the brake-sleeve away from the collar 12 and hub 6 of the drive- Wheel.

The cavities or recesses 19 in the gear 15 are angularl in form, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the inner portions'thereof are of a.

depth equal te one-half of the diameterA of the balls 20and the teeth 18 on the collar 12 project asimilar distance,'and said balls when said gear and collar are locked togetherare half in the gear and half in the collar and form an absolute lock and not a friction-brake, as usual in this class of devices.

,In Fig, 5 we have shown a modified form of construction, in which we substitute for the sprocket-wheel 15 an ordinary beveled gear 27, which is operated upon by a corresponding beveled gear 28, mounted on a shaft29, which in practice is geared in connection with the pedal-shaft of the vehicle, vwhich is vnot shown, it being understood that'this'construcf tion constitutes an ordinarychainless gear. We also preferably place adjacent to the collar 12 a washer 30,'in connection with which` IDO IIO

stitute ordinary driving gears or wheels for operating ythe drive-wheel of the vehicle, and it will be apparent that changes in and modifications of the construction described may be made without departing from the spirit ofi,

our invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Our improvement is simple in construction and operation and -is perfectly adapted tf colnplish the result for which it is intended and is also comparatii-ely inexpensive.

.Having fully described our invention, we

claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters p Paten t- 1. In a propelling and brake-mechanism'for vehicles of the class described, the combination with the shaft or axle of the drive-wheel of the vehicle, of ascrewfth rea-ded brake-hub mounted thereon, a screw f threaded brakesleeve'monnted on said hub, a collar connected with the end ofthe hub of the drivefwheel of the vehicle and a gear-wheel provided with a hub, said gear-wheel being mounted on said collar and the hub thereof inclosing said brake-sleeve, said gear-wheel being provided in its inner perimeter with chambers or re-' ing said balls in place, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the shaft or axle of the drive-Wheel of a bicycle or similar vehicle, of a screw-threaded brake-hub m0unted on one end thereof, a screw-threaded brake` sleeve mounted on said hub, a coliar secured to the hub of the drivewheel adjacent to said sleeve, a driving-gear mounted on said collar and provided with a hub which incluses said sleeve, means for locking said gear and said collar together when said gear is turned in the forward direction, and means for locking the hub of the driving-gear to the brake-sleeve when said gear is turned in the backward direction, substantially as shown and described.

ln testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names, in the presence of the snbscribingwitnesses, this th day of November, 1898.

' JAMES ALLAN.

FRANK MOORE. Witnesses:

JAMES ADAMS, E. E. ADAMS. 

